Loading apparatus



L; w. PALMER.

v LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, i920. 1 40 13 Patented Feb-28, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WW7 R 1 m I Inn/enlar- EE: N i q aw? L'. W. PALMER.

LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. I920.

1 40 13 Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

In era/6r wlfie 77 Jay Z $149M L W. PALMER.

' LOADING APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1920.

Patent ed Feb. 28, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

fflfl hess gy g r L. W. PALMER.

LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5,1920.

1 ,408,136, Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Witness UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOADING APPARATUS.

incense,

Specification of Letters Patent, Patented Feb, 28, 1922,

Application filed May 5, 1320. Serial No. 378,949.

7 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Lnoiv W Pamrmz, a citizen of the United States, residing at UnityStation, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loading machines, designed primarily for use in connec tion with the loading of wagons and trucks from railway cars, but it is to be understood however that the machine can be employed for any purposes where-in it is found applicable, and has for its object to provlde a machine of the class stated, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, with'means for re-- ceiving and elevating the material to be loaded and then dumping it into a wagon or other receptacle, in a manner whereby theloading operation is not-only facilitated, but is carried on at minimum expense, labor and waste.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character described which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable and efiicient in its use, readily set up and operated, and comparatively inexpensive To the accomplishment of these and such other obj ects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts here in specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the'principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, which come within the scope ofthe claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings forming. a portion of this specification and wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a loading machine in accordance with the invention. I

Figure 2 is a top plan view'thereof.

Figures 3 and i are respective side views of the machine with portions thereof broken away.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal view of the associated parts the brake lever and associated parts.

Referring to the drawings the apparatus comprises a frame consisting of a series of vertical side barrel, 2, 3 and l, and top bars 6 and 7, which are secured to the upper ends of the vertical bars, Each of the bars 6 and 7, centrally thereof has a vertical support or bracket indicated at 8, 9, and which support a drive shaft'lO, and a. driven shaft 11. The drive shaft 10 is operated by a drive connection 13, extending from a motor or other prime mover supported on the bars 6, T, and which is indicated at 15. Onthe shaft 10 is a pair of clutches 16, 17 for coupling therewith a pair of drums 18, 19, employed in connection with two pair of dumping cables 20 which wind on and oil said drums. Clutch levers 21 associate with the clutches 16, 1'? for operating themwhen occasion so requires. On the shaft 10 is loosely mounted a bevel gear 22. The latter is adapted to be coupled to said shaft 10, so it can be driven thereby, by a clutch 23 actuated by a clutch lever 24.

Loosely mounted onthe shaft 11 is a sleeve which is continuously driven from the shaft 10 by a transmission 26. Thesleeve 25 is coupled to the shaft 11, by a clutch 26, shifted by a lever 27. Fixed to the shaft 11 is a pair of drums28,29 employed in connection with two pairs ofele'vating and lowering cables "30, 31., and said cables wind oifand on said drums.

Mounted at thetop of theframc are shafts 3:2, 33, 3i and 35, and the shafts 32, 133 are provided with roller-s36 for the cables 30, 31, and theshafts 34 and 35areprovi'ded 'with rollers 37zfor-the cables 20.

i-irrauged within'the frame is a vertically.

movable elevator 38, having a dumping bottom 39, which is formed of two eccentrically pivoted sections, thepivots being indicated at 10. The cables 20 are attached to'the sections of the dumping bottom 39, and the cables 30, 31 are attached to the, elevator 38.- lVhen the elevator is loaded an'dmoved vertically the cables 20, 30 and 31 are'wound simultaneously on their drums. Aftenthe elevator has been'hoisted or rather moved upward to the desired point, the operation of the cables 80, 31, is discontinued, but the cables 20 still continue to operate to swing the sections of the dumping bottom on their pivot L0 which will cause a dumping of the load carried by the elevator.

The frame has attached thereto means to provide a pair of lateral extensions or platforms, as indicated at ll, 4-2 and which are oppositely disposed. The platform ll has a plurality of openings as, and also a track 4% whereby a hopper or other dumping car can be run on the platform over the openings and the load carried by the car discharged into the openings 43. The plat form 41 has arranged therebelow a chamber 416, in which is positioned a pair of endless conveyers 47 which are arranged below the openings The chamber at its inner side is provided with a closure gate 44h normally in an upright position to close said inner end, but when lowered provides what may be termed a director. When the elevator is in a lowered position, as shown in Figure 1, the gate is lowered and extended over the bottom of the elevator. Material con ducted by the conveyers will fall on the inclined bottom 48, of the chamber 46, then shifted onto the gate 44, the latter when lowered forms a continuation of the bottom 4L8, and be discharged onto the bottom of the elevator.

The platform 41 supports an idler shaft 49 and a driven shaft50, for supporting and. operating the conveyer 47. The shaft 50 has a bevel gear 5]. driven from the bevel 52 carried by a shaft 53 which is supported by the platform il, as well as extending above the latter. The shaft 53 on its upper end carries a bevel gear 54, which meshes with a bevel gear 55 on a shaft 56 supported by the frame. The gear 55 is driven from a bevel gear 57, arranged on the lower end of a vertical shaft 58, supported by the bracket 9. The shaft 58 has on its upper end a gear 59, driven by the gear 22, when the latter is coupled to the shaft 10.

Supported by the frame below the shaft .36, is a shaft 60, having a pair of drums 61", on which wind and unwind the elevating cables 62 for the gate 44:. The shaft has a loose bevel gear 68, which is coupled to the shaft 60 by a clutch mechanism 63.

Meshing with the gear 63 is a gear 64, on'

the shaft 65, which carries a gear 66, the latter meshes with a gear 67 on the shaft 56. By this arrangement, in connection with the clutching mechanism 63 a means is provided whereby the elevating cables 62 can remain stationary during the operation of the conveyers 47. y y

,The platform 42 enables aconveyance to be moved thereon and loaded with material hoisted by the elevator, and in this connection a laterally movable conveyor slide is employed, which is positioned below the elevator, for receiving the material from the elevator after the latter has been hoisted, then conveying it from below the elevator and then automatically dumping the ma terial in the conveyance.

Mounted on the platform 42 are vertical supports 68, to which are secured lateral rails 69 extending towards the frame of the apparatus. The rails 69 are provided with ledges 7 0, to form tracks for a pair'of rack bars 71, having rollers 72 travelling on the tracks formed by the ledges 70.

The laterally movable conveyer slide is formed by the rack bars 71, in connection with a transverse member 73, standing on edge, and a hinged dumping plate 74. A transverse member 75 is secured to the inner ends of the rack bars 7]. and is pivotally connected or hinged, as at 76, to the plate 74;, which form the dumping bottom of the slide. The forward end of the plate 74 has a pair of arms 77 which extend below the bottom edge of the member 73, as well as forwardly therefrom. Hinged or pivoted to the member 7 3, at the front thereof is a pair of spring controlled trip members 78 which engage the arms 77, to maintain the plate 74 closed until said arms 77 are released by the trip members 78.

The upper ends of the members 78 extend below the rails 69 and in the path of a pair 1 of actuating blocks 79, whereby when the slide moves outwardly, the upper-ends of the members 7 8 will be engaged by the blocks 7 9 rocking the trip members on their pivots and releasing the arms 7 7, whereby the plate 7st will lower and the material, carried ly the slide, will be dumped. The shifting of the members 7 8 will be so timed that the slide will be over the conveyance so that the load carried by the slide will be' dumped at the proper point.- The blocks 79 are adjust-ably connected with the rails 69 so that they can be arranged at any desired position to cause the dumping of the slide when occasion requires.

Mounted on the frame above the rack bars 71 is a shaft 80 provided with a pair of pinions 81 which mesh with and drive the rack bars 71. The shaft 80 can be driven in either direction to provide for the inward and outward movement of the-slide and in this connection the shaft 80 is provided with a pair of clutches. 82, 83, each provided with a bevel. gear. The clutch 82 with the ear 84 and the clutch 83 with the gear 85. The gears 84:, 85 are oppositely disposed relative to each other and are adapted to alternately engage with a bevel gear 86, on the lower end of a vertical shaft 8", which has a gear 88 on its upper end, and said gear 88 meshes with a gear 89 on the shaft 10. The shaft 87 is supported by the bracket 9. The clutches 82, 83 are shifted simultaneously by a lever mechanism 90, one clutch to active retarded.

and the other to inactive position, and fur ther said mechanism is so setup that the gears 84:, 85 can be shifted clear of the gear 86 whereby the shaft 80 will not be driven, under such conditions the travel of the slide inwardly as well as outwardly can be arrested or rather discontinued. The lever mechanism 90 is supported from the frame.

Fixed to the shaft 11. is a ratchet wheel 91 which is engaged by a dog 92, pivotally connected to a brake collar 93, loosely mounted on the shaft 11. Pivotally connected to the top of the frame and adapted to engage with the collar 93, by frictional contact therewith, is a brake lever 94L. The collar 93 and the lever 94: are employed to retard the unwinding movement of the drums which carry the elevating and lowering cables so that the downward movement of the elevator, which is by gravity, will be The collar 93 is connected to the shaft 11 by the dog and ratchet 91 when the shaft revolves in the direction opposite to that when driven from the shaft 10, due to the unwinding of the elevating and lowering cables when the weight of the elevator causes the latter to move downwardly. The brake lever 94: is brought into frictional c011- tact with the brake collar after the dumping cables have performed their operation and the winding up thereof on their respective drums is discontinued due to the uncoupling of said drums from the shaft 10 by the operation of the clutches associated with said drums.

The operation of the'elevating cables, that is to say, the winding thereof on their respective drums is discontinued prior to the suspension of operation of the dumping cables, and which is caused by the disconnecting of the operative drive for the shaft 10 from the latter by means of that clutch which associates with said operative drive 26.

The platform 4-2 can be provided with a bin 95 for storing material received from the conveyer slide.

What I claim is:

1. A loading apparatus comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, a conveyer slide having a dumping bottom, means for shifting the slide to receive and convey material from the elevator and operating the bottom thereof to dump material into the slide, and means for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material conveyed thereby.

2. A loading apparatus comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, a conveyer slide having a dumping bottom, means for shifting the slide to receive and convey material from the elevator and operating the bottom thereof to dump material into the slide, means for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material conveyed thereby,

and means for conducting and directing material onto the bottom of the elevator.

3. A leading apparatus comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, cables for hoisting the elevator, a conveyer slide having a normally locked dumpingbottom, means for shifting the slide to receive and convey material dumped from the elevator. cables for operating the dumping bottom of the elevator after the latter has been hoisted to cause dumping of the material carried by the elevator into the slide, and means for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material carried thereby.

a. A loading machine comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, cables for hoisting theelevator, a conveyerzslide having a normally locked dumping bottom, means for shifting the'slide to receive and convey material dumped from the elevator, cables for operating the dumping bottom of the elevator after the latter has been hoisted to cause dumping of the material carried by the elevator into the slide, means for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material carried thereby, and means for conducting and directing material onto the bottom of the elevator.

5. A loading apparatus comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, a conveyer slide having a dumping bottom, means for shifting the slide to receive and convey material from the elevator and operating the bottom thereof to dump material into the slide, means for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material conveyed thereby, and means for controlling the lowering movement of the elevator.

6. A loading apparatus comprising an' elevator having a dumping bottom, cables for hoisting the elevator, a conveyer slide having a normally locked dumping bottom, means for shifting the slide to receive and convey material dumped from the elevator, cables for operating the dumping bottom of the elevator after the latter has been hoisted to cause dumping of the material carried by the elevator into the slide, means for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material carried thereby, and means for controlling the lowering movement of the elevator.

7. A loading apparatus comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, cables for hoisting said elevator, controlling means for the cables, a laterally shiftable conveyer slide having a normally locked dumping bottom, means for shifting the slide to receive and convey material dumped from the eleva tor, means for controlling the movement of the slide, cables for operating the bottom of the elevator after the latter has been hoisted to cause dumping of the material carried thereby into the slide, controlling means for said last mentioned cables, and a trip element for releasing the bottom oil the slide to dump the material carried thereby.

8. A loading apparatus comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, cables for hoisting said elevator, controlling means for the cables, a laterally shiftable conveyor slide having a normally locked dumping bottom, means for shifting the slide to re ceive and convey material dumped from the elevator, means for controlling the movement of the slide, cables for operatingthe bottom of the elevator after the latter has been hoisted to cause dumping of the material carried thereby into the slide, controlling means for said last mentioned cables, a trip element for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material carried thereby, and means for controlling the lowering movement of the elevator.

9.1K loading apparatus comprising an elevator having a dumping bottom, cables for hoistin said elevator, controlling means for the cables, a laterally shiftable conveyer Slide having a normally locked dumping bottom, means for shifting the slide to receive and convey material dumped from the elevator, means for controlling the movementof the slide, cables for operating the bottom of the elevator after the hoisting operation to cause dumping of the material carried thereby into the slide, controlling means for said last mentioned cables, a trip element for releasing the bottom of the slide to dump the material carried thereby, and means for conducting and directing material onto the bottom of the elevator.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

, LEON W. PALMER. 

